FA Cup gives Norwich City twins Josh and Jacob Murphy a day to remember in third-round draw with Fulham

When Jacob Murphy replaced Josh Murphy as a substitute in the FA Cup tie
against Fulham, it was a special moment for the Norwich brothers and their
mother Maxine.

Family affair: Josh Murphy is replaced by his twin brother Jacob Murphy in Norwich's 1-1 draw against FulhamPhoto: ACTION IMAGES

By Gerry Cox

10:30PM GMT 05 Jan 2014

Spare a thought for Elsad Zverotic. The Fulham full-back had been run ragged by Josh Murphy and should have been relieved to see the Norwich teenager being replaced after 79 minutes of his full debut. But then Zverotic looked up to see Murphy replaced by his twin brother Jacob, who nearly nicked it for Norwich with a late shot past the post.

That substitution in a 1-1 draw was a special moment for the brothers and their proud mother Maxine, proving the FA Cup can still be magical, especially for young players desperate to prove their worth. “It gives managers an opportunity to give kids a chance,” said Rene Meulensteen, who gave debuts to four Fulham players.

“In the Premier League, everyone is fighting for something, and the demands are so high that managers are looking to draw from the best players week in, week out. But when these FA Cup games come around, they are a great opportunity to test young players, to see if they are good enough.”

Josh Murphy, 18, certainly passed the test with flying colours. He tested Dave Stockdale in the Fulham goal repeatedly before sprinting past Zverotic to cross for Robert Snodgrass’s equaliser on the stroke of half-time, after Darren Bent had headed Fulham into the lead five minutes earlier.

Murphy admitted that Bent’s former Tottenham team-mate Jermain Defoe was a hero of his, along with Alan Shearer, and studies top players to improve his own game. “Whenever there is a game on I’ll watch it, study opponents, in case I go on loan to a lower league club. I watch all games, and clips of Ronaldo, Messi on YouTube. It’s all about experience and learning the game right now.”

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The Murphy twins are in the right place to progress, having helped Norwich beat Chelsea in the final of the FA Youth Cup last May. “To play against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, and at Carrow Road in front of all the fans, it helped me massively,” said Josh. “So I took that in to this game – I know what it’s like to play in front of crowds. We’ve got a good set-up at Norwich so it’s not long till others break through”

He trusts Chris Hughton’s handling. “He is going to manage me the way he has throughout the season. I didn’t imagine playing now so he knows what he’s doing. He brought Nathan Redmond through and he’s made over 100 appearances now and is knocking on the door for the England senior team. So if the gaffer can look after me the way he looked after Nathan I’m sure I won’t go far wrong.”

The brothers celebrated quietly before kick off. “When we found out I was in the starting line-up, we went in the toilets and quickly gave each other a high five. It was a big moment for us. I was very happy.”

His identical twin Jacob said: “There no rivalry at all. We’re there to support each other. When I came off I was happy that he was going on. I know what he’s capable of. So do all the backroom staff.”

Stockdale’s spectacular save from Ricky van Wolfwinkel ensured a replay next Tuesday. “It was like Gordon Banks,” said Meuelensteen, who insisted the absent Dimitar Berbatov is not leaving. “As far as I am concerned he is very content, very happy, playing well, and he’s very important for us.”